Monterey>> The new top cop in Monterey wants to use data to better track crime trends and implement “proactive policing.”

Dave Hober, 49, began as an assistant chief in February and has been interim chief since May. A longtime San Jose police officer, Hober’s appointment as police chief became official Wednesday, and he will earn a base salary of $177,288 a year.

“I feel absolutely humbled, privileged and lucky to be able to have this job. It’s an absolute dream come true,” he said. “I loved working as a police officer in a big city but I’m a small town guy.”

Hober said he wants to use “proactive policing” to stop crime before it occurs, which can mean greater interaction with the community to prevent crime. He also wants to rely on weekly reports from analysts to follow crime trends.

“The officers have a good feeling of what is going on but, sometimes, if we have issues like bike theft or people breaking into cars,” he said, “we can pinpoint where those things are happening so officers can focus on that.”

Although Monterey is a low-crime city, Hober said issues such as thefts can be major issues to residents. He said there is at least one bike stolen a week.

He said officers are aware of people who are “involved in crime,” namely those on probation and parole.

“So, when we start having crime we can look in those areas,” he said.

Hober started at the San Jose Police Department in 1988, moving up the ranks from officer, to sergeant, lieutenant and captain. He has graduate degrees in criminal justice administration and public administration from San Jose State University. He took a leave from San Jose Police from 1996 to 1997 to work as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Monterey city manager Mike McCarthy said in a news release the city is “extremely fortunate” to have Hober.

Just two finalists were considered for the job, Monterey spokeswoman Anne McGrath said.

Hober has not shied away from the public eye, appearing front and center during Monterey’s debates over massage business regulations. In San Jose, Hober was instrumental in returning a mine-resistant, ambush-protected troop transport vehicle, or MRAP, after concerns in the community over the federal tank-like vehicle patrolling the streets.

He said he’s been meeting with the community and that officers are there at least twice a night on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, adding that the neighborhood is “probably patrolled more than any other area.”

Hober said he often goes there himself on Saturday nights, but has only had to ask people to put out fires not in bonfire pits.